1948: May 1st celebration

May 1st celebrations, shortly after the communist putsch in
February 1948. Edvard Beneš president of Czechoslovakia until his
abdication at July 7th 1948 was probably surprised to see himself
pictured next to Stalin and the future communist president of
Czechoslovakia Klement Gottwald.

President Edvard Beneš, Stalin and future president Klement
Gottwald

And now year 1948!

With the Soviet Union to world peace, Club of Czech Soviet
Friendship

Hail to President Edvard Beneš, headed by Gottwald

30 million eggs per year

We will fulfil the programme for our children

1947, 1948, two years of work, two steps to prosperity;
forward, just continue

Cooperation on dedicated creative creation of work force -
purpose of our work and our life, Gottwald's institute

People's democracy – here it was born and here we will keep its
fruits

100.000

A hundred thousand of us came for May 1st, to the region under
Kotnov, the land of the Blaník knights. A hundred thousand workers,
farmers, craftsmen; a hundred thousand women, men, young boys and
girls met in the huge stream of procession, whose purpose was given
by the February victory of working people over home and foreign
reactionaries.

A hundred thousand of us came, to a day of celebration of work,
to give thanks to Gottwald’s government for national insurance,
that insures everyone when he is old or sick; and to the government
of National unity gave thanks for making the Hradec programme a
law, that starts new life in our countryside, to express our happy
agreement with more nationalization of industry, large scale
business, import, export, that saves tens of billions that was
taken away by capitalists.

A hundred thousand of us in the region under Kotnov and Blaník
mountain came to thank Gottwald’s government, and the minister of
education Prof. Zdeněk Nejedlý, for the law about unified schools,
that allows everyone to be able to study. We came to thank our
government for the new craftsman tax; for allowing new married
couples to borrow money; and for everything it has made in this
short time. We came to also express our agreement with the new
constitution, that we have discussed, and we all know that it will
ensure us not only all the advantages of our national and
democratic revolution, but also allows us to go more to
socialism.

A hundred thousand of us came to manifest for making 2 year plan
till February 28th, and to follow the example of farmers from
Chlumec and Skrýchov, who announced increases in their agricultural
production.

A hundred thousand of us met in May processions, to tell our
greeting to Soviet Union and to all Slavic and democratic
countries, in a united way to greet all warriors for democratic
rights, in countries where capitalism is still conquering.

A hundred thousand of us met, to manifest for peace against the
sources of war.

A hundred thousand of us in the day of unified May the first met
in the fifteen cities of the Tábor region, to express our agreement
with unified candidate of National Unity, and to show remains of
reaction our invincible power and passion, handle with everyone,
who would somehow try to steal from us – workers, farmers,
craftsmen and working intelligence – what we by our work, our
determination and effort reached in all areas, economic and
political.

A hundred thousand of us met in the Tábor region, to together
with advanced powers of all the republic, started firmly in the
forward direction, faster to socialism, to happiness, and to joyful
life for us all.